Visitors to Australia Continue Bringing Measles

The Queensland Public Health and Scientific Services, Communicable Diseases Branch, recently issued a public health alert about measles outbreaks.

As of December 13, 2024, measles cases have been reported among travelers to Victoria, Western Australia, and Queensland this year.

This alert stated clinicians in Australia should be alert for signs and symptoms of measles, particularly in international travelers or those close contacts potentially exposed to measles.

To alert the global community, the U.S. CDC reissued a Level 1 - Practice Usual Precautions, Travel Health Advisory, regarding measles outbreaks in 56 countries. As of late November 2024, this CDC alert did not include Australia.

As of December 6, 2024, the U.S. CDC reported 283 measles cases in 32 jurisdictions this year.

The CDC wrote that travelers are at risk of measles if they have not been fully vaccinated at least two weeks before departure or have not had measles in the past and have traveled internationally. In the U.S., measles vaccines are generally available at travel clinics and pharmacies.